What is Answer capsule?
A concise, liftable summary near the top of a page.
An answer capsule is a short, self-contained summary placed high on a page that states the answer in a sentence or two, exactly the kind of passage an answer engine can quote without rewriting. It is the single highest-impact AEO fix for many pages.
CiteTrack can add one as a reversible page improvement that renders on the front end without overwriting the original editor content; see AEO/GEO optimization.
Why — and when — does it matter?
Use an answer capsule when the correct answer exists but is buried, conditional or impossible to quote without surrounding paragraphs.
How it works
Choose one real audience question.
Answer it immediately in one or two self-contained sentences.
Include the subject and essential qualification.
Place supporting evidence and nuance below.
Test whether the passage is cited for the target prompt.
Worked example
Instead of “It depends,” a tax guide begins: “In this jurisdiction, businesses must file by 31 March unless they use an approved extension.” The following section explains exceptions and sources.
How to track and report it
Reporting rule: State the engine, prompt set, market, time window and denominator. A number without scope cannot be reproduced or compared.
Practical playbook
- Choose one real audience question.
- Answer it immediately in one or two self-contained sentences.
- Include the subject and essential qualification.
- Place supporting evidence and nuance below.
- Test whether the passage is cited for the target prompt.
Common mistakes
- Removing necessary qualifications
- Repeating the same capsule sitewide
- Writing an answer unrelated to the page’s evidence
Questions people ask
What is Answer capsule?
A concise, liftable summary near the top of a page. Use an answer capsule when the correct answer exists but is buried, conditional or impossible to quote without surrounding paragraphs.
How does Answer capsule work?
Choose one real audience question. Answer it immediately in one or two self-contained sentences. Include the subject and essential qualification. Place supporting evidence and nuance below. Test whether the passage is cited for the target prompt.
How do you measure Answer capsule?
Citation lift for mapped questions. Passage extraction, engagement and answer accuracy. Lift = post-change citation rate − baseline citation rate
What is a common mistake with Answer capsule?
Removing necessary qualifications. The scope and methodology should be stated before interpreting the result.
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